JP2792427B2 - Cordless remote control water heater - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cordless remote control water heater that performs control communication between a remotely installed device and a controller using radio waves.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional cordless remote control water heater system will be described with reference to FIG.

[0003] The water heater main body and the remote control communicate with each other using radio waves of one fixed frequency, and the remote control operates using a battery power supply. The main body is continuously in a receivable state.

First, when the switch is operated after turning on the power of the remote controller (P1), the remote controller transmits an operation signal to the water heater main body (D), and the water heater main body receives this signal (C). Thereafter, the main body transmits a response signal to the remote controller (B). T1 seconds after the end of the response signal, the water heater main body and the remote controller start their respective timers so that they can communicate at the same timing. By this operation, timer synchronization is established, and the remote controller turns on the receiving power supply every T2 seconds thereafter to perform intermittent reception (E), so that the water heater body also has a transmission timing to the remote control every T2 seconds. (A).

For example, when the remote control switch is operated at P2, the remote control immediately transmits an operation signal, but a response is returned from the main body at P3 which is the reception timing of the remote control. Further, when the hot water supply unit is in the hot water supply combustion state at P4, the timing of actually transmitting the hot water supply combustion information to the remote control is the reception timing (P5) of the remote control after T3 seconds. In this manner, the remote controller can perform communication while intermittently performing reception while saving the power of the battery power supply.

[0006] Immediately before transmitting a radio wave to both the remote controller and the water heater, it is checked whether a radio wave (carrier) of the same frequency has already been transmitted from another system (hereinafter referred to as carrier sense). Do
If there is a carrier, suspend temporary transmission.

[0007]

However, in the case of transmission and reception using one frequency, if a small number of cordless water heaters are used, transmission and reception can be performed without any problem because the radio wave interference between the water heaters is small. If a large number of cordless water heaters are installed in a collective property and dozens of remote controllers are used at the same time, transmission may not be possible due to a carrier before transmission, or transmission and reception may occur due to radio wave interference. There is a problem that it takes a long time to establish and a response is delayed.

[0008] The communication system of the cordless remote control water heater conforms to a specific low-power standard issued by the Radio System Development Center for Telecom and Telemeter (STD-16), and continuous transmission is up to 30 seconds. Up to the public. Therefore, other companies' systems other than water heaters
One frequency may be used continuously for 30 seconds.
There was a problem that during this time, the change in the state of the water heater or the operation content of the remote control could not be transmitted using only the frequency.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a communication system that performs communication using a plurality of frequencies and has a high response even when a large number of systems exist.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, a first means of a cordless remote control water heater according to the present invention comprises a transmitting / receiving means for transmitting and receiving a radio signal, and an operation for operating and inputting hot water supply operation conditions. Means, a timer means for receiving a response signal to the operation input signal of the operation means transmitted by the transmission / reception means, and counting a predetermined time by matching the reference time with the water heater main body which transmitted the response signal; and A remote control having transmission / reception frequency changing means for repeatedly switching the frequency of transmission / reception radio waves within a predetermined range according to information of a predetermined time, receiving an operation input signal from operation means of the remote control as a radio signal, and operating information of the main body; Main body transmitting / receiving means for transmitting the predetermined time to the remote control, and synchronizing the reference time with the remote control by a reception signal from the remote control. A body timer means for time, in synchronization with the information of the predetermined time from the main timer means for switching the transmitting and receiving radio waves the frequency of the remote control is that a body receiving frequency changing means for switching the transmitting and receiving radio waves frequency of the body.

The second means of the present invention is characterized in that, when information of signal reception of the same frequency is received from outside of the apparatus from the transmitting / receiving means or the main body transmitting / receiving means, a spare frequency having only this frequency in addition to the predetermined range is provided. And a transmission / reception frequency changing means and a main body transmission / reception frequency changing means for performing the same replacement in synchronization with the replacement of the spare frequency on the other hand when receiving the replacement signal. is there.

[0012]

According to the first means of the present invention, the transmission / reception frequency of the remote controller and the transmission / reception frequency of the water heater main body can be changed synchronously and repeatedly so that a certain frequency in use can be changed to another frequency. Even if it is continuously used in a water heater or other wireless equipment, transmission and reception can be performed at another switched frequency, and the operation content of the remote controller can be transmitted to the main body without delay.

Further, according to the second means of the present invention, the transmission and reception frequencies of the main body and the remote controller can be synchronously replaced and changed, and a certain frequency in use can be continuously changed by another equipment. If it is used, the used frequency is replaced with an unused spare frequency and changed, so that a change in the state of the main body can be displayed on the remote controller without delay.

[0014]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, 1 is a remote controller, 2 is a water heater main body 1
Timer means for measuring the timing of synchronization with 0, receiving frequency changing means 3, transmitting frequency changing means 4, and the frequency is changed by a predetermined time measured by the timer means 2. 5 is a receiving means for receiving a wireless signal, 6 is a transmitting means for a wireless signal, 7 is a power control means for controlling power supply from a battery to the receiving means 5 and the like based on a predetermined time of the timer means 2, and 8 is a push button. Buttons and other operating means, 9 is a transmitting / receiving antenna, and 18 is a display means such as a liquid crystal panel for displaying the state of the main device. The transmitting means 6 transmits the contents operated by the operating means 8 to the water heater main body 10 via the antenna 9, and the receiving means 5 displays the state of the main body received from the water heater main body 10 via the antenna 9, etc. It has a function to display.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a main body timer means for measuring the synchronization timing with the remote controller 1, 12 a main body reception frequency changing means, and 13 a main body transmission frequency changing means, each of which changes the frequency according to a predetermined time of the timer means 11. 14 is a main body receiving means for receiving a radio signal, 15 is a main body transmitting means for transmitting a radio signal, 16 is a main body control means for controlling a combustion operation of the main body, and 17 is a transmitting / receiving antenna. The transmitting means 15 has a function of transmitting information from the main body control means 16 to the remote control 1 via the antenna 17, and the receiving means 14 has a function of transmitting an operation signal received from the remote control 1 via the antenna 17 to the main body control means 16. The operation will be described below based on the above configuration.

FIG. 2 is a communication timing chart in one embodiment of the present invention. When the communication between the water heater main body 10 and the remote controller 1 has not been started, the transmission / reception frequency of the water heater main body 10 and the transmission / reception frequency of the remote controller 1 are both set to channel 1.
It is fixed to. When the switch operation of the remote controller 1 is performed from this state (P6), the remote controller 1 transmits an operation signal to the water heater main body 10 (J), and the water heater main body 10 receives this signal (H). After that, the water heater main body 10 transmits a response signal to the remote controller 1 (F), and after t ₀ seconds from the end of the response signal, the water heater main body 10 and the remote controller 1
Activates the main body timer means 11 and the timer means 2 so that they can communicate at the same time.

The transmission / reception operation so far is performed on channel 1 which is a transmission / reception frequency fixed in advance. By this operation, timer synchronization is established, and the remote controller 1 turns on the power of the receiving means 5 by the power control means 7 every T5 seconds thereafter to perform intermittent reception (L).
0 also has a transmission timing to the remote controller every T5 seconds (G).

After the establishment of the timer synchronization, the transmission / reception frequency of both the water heater main unit 10 and the remote controller 1 is switched at the following timing. First, the reception of the water heater main body 10 is performed at a cycle T5 / 1/2 of the intermittent reception cycle T5 seconds of the remote controller.
The receiving channel is switched in 2 seconds. This is because the main body receiving frequency changing means 12 confirms the time measured by the main body timer means 11 and after the elapse of T5 / 2 seconds, the channel 2
The main body receiving means 14 is controlled to change to channel 3 after T5 / 2 seconds, and to return to the first channel 1 after the next T5 / 2 seconds. (I).

The corresponding transmission by the remote controller 1 must be performed on the same channel as the reception channel of the water heater main body 10. For example, when a switch operation is performed in P8, the remote controller 1 transmits an operation signal (J),
The transmission channel at this time may be set to the channel 2 that the water heater main body 10 is receiving. That is, as shown in (K), the transmission channel of the remote controller 1 may be switched at the same timing as that of the main unit by the transmission frequency changing unit 4 confirming the time measured by the timer unit 2. It is. If the remote controller 1 determines that the radio wave of the same frequency has already been transmitted by another device by the carrier sense performed by the main body reception frequency changing means 12 immediately before transmission, it waits until the next transmission channel 3 and transmits. no problem.

As described above, the transmission from the remote controller 1 to the main body is supplied from the battery at any time by operating the operation means 8, so that the transmission can be performed at any time. Therefore, T5 is subdivided so that transmission can be performed earlier with a shorter waiting time than T5 when the main body detects carrier collision with radio wave collision with another device.

Next, the reception of the remote controller 1 is performed intermittently at the period of T5 seconds as described above (L). At this time, the reception is first performed on the channel 1 and the reception timing after T5 seconds 2 and then periodically changes to channel 3 and then to channel 1 again (M). This can be achieved by the receiving frequency changing means 3 counting the time T5 seconds counted by the timer means 2 and controlling the receiving channel of the receiving means 5 every T5 seconds.

Corresponding transmission from the water heater main body 10 must be performed on the same channel as the reception channel of the remote controller 1. For example, when a hot water supply combustion state at P9 with hot water heater main body 10, but actually the timing for sending the information of the water heater combustion in the remote control 1 is the reception timing of the remote controller of _a second after t (P10), at that time The transmission channel may be set to the same three channels as the remote control reception channel (G). This can be achieved by the main body transmission frequency changing means 13 counting the time T5 seconds counted by the main body timer means 11 and controlling the transmission channel of the main body transmission means 15 every T5 seconds.

If the water heater body 10 determines that the radio wave of the same frequency has already been transmitted by the carrier sense performed immediately before transmission, there is no problem if the transmission is performed after waiting for channel 1 after T5 seconds. For the transmission from the main unit, a T5 cycle as a practically appropriate reception timing is set in order to rationalize the power consumption for reception of the remote controller 1. The switching of the channel for transmission from the remote controller 1 is set at a different frequency.

Next, channels other than the standard defined channels, that is, channels 1, 2, 3 in the present embodiment,
The operation in the case of replacing any communication channel with a previously prepared channel and changing the communication channel will be described with reference to FIG.

The main body receiving means 14 can continuously monitor the presence or absence of radio waves while replacing an arbitrary receiving channel with an unused spare channel as shown in (I). Therefore, when the radio wave of another device is continuously detected while receiving the channel 2 in P11, the main body reception frequency changing unit 12 determines that the channel 2 is already used by another water heater or wireless equipment. It is determined that the communication channel 2 is present, and a request to replace the communication channel 2 with the spare channel 4 is transmitted to the remote controller 1. Since this transmission also needs to be transmitted at the synchronous timing with the remote controller 1, P1
Transmit at 2.

Since the transmission frequency at this time is determined for channel 3, it is possible to inform remote controller 1 even when channel 2 cannot be used. Based on the received channel change request, the remote controller 1 replaces channel 2 with channel 4 after P12, and replaces the transmission channel. At the same time, the water heater main unit 10 also changes the channel 2 to the channel 4 and changes the reception channel.

Further, the reception channel of the remote controller 1 and the transmission channel of the water heater main body 10 can be similarly transmitted and received by changing the timing of transmission and reception on channel 2 to channel 4 after P12 (P13). .

The method of determining the channel to be changed may be freely selected from unused spare channels, or the water heater main unit 10 may temporarily search for unused channels temporarily during continuous reception. However, it is also possible to store in advance the least frequently used channels and to switch the replacement channels in order from the least frequently used channels.

Further, although the same three transmission / reception channels are stored in the remote controller 1 and the water heater main unit 10, the number of automatically switched channels can be set in advance by using a switch or the like. 10 and the water heater main body 1 for the switch operation at P6 in the initial stage of the communication shown in FIG.
The transmission / reception channel information is added to the response signal from 0,
It is also possible to inform the remote controller 1.

With the above configuration, even if the channel 1 is used continuously in another system, the remaining 2
In both channels, transmission from the remote controller 1 to the water heater main body 10 and transmission from the water heater main body 10 to the remote controller 1 can be performed in both directions. Furthermore, even if a frequently used channel happens to be selected during communication, it can be replaced with another unused and spare channel. Is automatically selected, and communication without response delay is enabled.

[0031]

As described above, according to the first means of the present invention, when a certain transmission / reception frequency is continuously used by another system, or when a large number of cordless remote control water heaters are installed adjacently. Even when the radio wave environment deteriorates due to simultaneous use, transmission and reception can be performed by switching between a plurality of radio wave frequencies, and radio communication with little response delay between the remote controller and the main body can be performed.

Further, according to the second means of the present invention, even when the radio wave environment is deteriorated, a plurality of radio frequencies are transmitted and received using switching and replacement, so that the response delay between the remote controller and the main unit is small. Radio communication is possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a remote control side of a cordless remote control water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a block diagram of a water heater main body side of the water heater.

FIG. 2 is a communication timing chart of the water heater.

FIG. 3 is a communication timing chart when the channel of the water heater is changed.

FIG. 4 is a communication timing chart of a conventional cordless remote control water heater.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Remote control 2 Timer means 3 Receiving frequency changing means 4 Transmitting frequency changing means 5 Receiving means 6 Transmitting means 7 Power control means 8 Operating means 10 Water heater main body 11 Main body timer means 12 Main body receiving frequency changing means 13 Main body transmitting frequency changing means 14 Main body Receiving means 15 Main body transmitting means

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yoshihiro Ueda 1006 Kadoma, Kazuma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-5-335998 (JP, A) JP-A-1-95630 (JP) , A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H04Q 9/00-9/16

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A water heater main body and a remote controller for remotely controlling the water heater main body, wherein the remote controller includes a transmitting / receiving means for transmitting / receiving a radio signal, an operating means for operating and inputting a hot water supply operation condition, and the transmitting / receiving means. A timer means for receiving a response signal to the transmitted operation input signal of the operation means, adjusting the reference time to the water heater body transmitting the response signal, and measuring a predetermined time, and transmitting and receiving radio waves based on information of the predetermined time from the timer means cycle repetition frequency within a predetermined range
Transmission / reception frequency changing means for selectively switching, the water heater main body receives an operation input signal from the operation means of the remote controller as a wireless signal, and transmits / receives operation information of the main body to the remote control, and the main body transmission / reception means; The main body timer means for synchronizing the reference time with the remote control by the received signal to measure the predetermined time, and the transmission and reception of the main body in synchronization with the switching of the transmission / reception radio frequency of the remote control based on the information of the predetermined time from the main body timer means. Around the radio frequency
A cordless remote control water heater equipped with a main unit transmission / reception frequency changing means that switches periodically . 2. When receiving signal reception information of the same frequency for a predetermined period of time from outside of the apparatus from the transmission / reception means or the main body transmission / reception means, only this frequency is replaced with a spare frequency provided in another part of a predetermined range, and the replacement signal is provided. 2. The cordless remote control hot water supply according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmission / reception frequency changing unit and a main body transmission / reception frequency changing unit that, when receiving one, and when receiving one, perform the same replacement in synchronization with the replacement to the spare frequency on the other. Machine.